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State pressure in Turkey leads unmarried TV couples to tie the knot

Written By THA on Wednesday, 30 May 2012 | 15:40

Zeynep's frustration at not being able to convince Ozan to settle down had been a comedic source for the writers over the show’s previous 250 episodes.

Pressure from Turkish TV’s watchdog is forcing the writers of a popular TV show to have their lead characters, an unmarried couple, wed in the interests of promoting greater morality, daily Habertürk reported today.

Zeynep and Ozan, the couple in the popular "1 Erkek 1 Kadın" (One Man, One Woman), will be married in a wedding scene that is to be included in next week's episode following pressure by the Turkish Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK).

The pair's failure to tie the knot, due to Ozan's reluctance to settle down, was one of the key dynamics to the show, which features a series of skits that follow the couple during their daily routines.

Zeynep's frustration at not being able to convince Ozan to settle down had been a comedic source for the writers over the show’s previous 250 episodes.

RTÜK, however, has been criticizing the show for some time, accusing the writers of encouraging extramarital affairs. The cohabiting couple is often portrayed as sexually active.

The general director of the show, Müge Turalı, recently announced the screen wedding, but added that the original story, which was adapted for Turkish TV, made no clear mention of the characters’ official marital status.

"It is a format adaptable to the culture and social values of the host country," Turali was quoted as saying. "In some countries they never got married. In others, like Lebanon, they were a married couple from the start."

A similar plot fix has been made to the popular cop show "Behzat Ç.," in which the lead actor, a maverick homicide detective, was finally hitched to his long-time girlfriend. (Hurriyet Daily News)